U.S. patent application number 17/186130 was filed with the patent office on 2021-09-09 for stack assist system.
The applicant listed for this patent is Robin J. Scott, Garrett Smith, Marcel van Schijndel. Invention is credited to Robin J. Scott, Garrett Smith, Marcel van Schijndel.
Application Number | 20210276807 17/186130 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005610823 |
Filed Date | 2021-09-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210276807 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
van Schijndel; Marcel ; et
al. |
September 9, 2021 |
STACK ASSIST SYSTEM
Abstract
A stack assist system includes a stacking surface, such as a
pallet, configured to receive a plurality of packages thereon. A
graphical display is configured to display a visual representation
of an optimized stack of packages on the staking surface. A package
position indicator may indicate the location of a package to be
placed on package stack. The system may receive package data from a
warehouse management system and determine an optimized stack based
on numerous considered and weighted parameters related to the
packages. The stack assist system may further optionally include a
mobile unit to travel through a warehouse, over an optimized path,
to retrieve packages intended for a stack.
Inventors: |
van Schijndel; Marcel;
(Groenlo, NL) ; Smith; Garrett; (Byron Center,
MI) ; Scott; Robin J.; (Ada, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
van Schijndel; Marcel
Smith; Garrett
Scott; Robin J. |
Groenlo
Byron Center
Ada |
MI
MI |
NL
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005610823 |
Appl. No.: |
17/186130 |
Filed: |
February 26, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62985480 |
Mar 5, 2020 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65G 1/1371 20130101;
H04N 7/18 20130101; G05B 13/024 20130101; G05D 1/0212 20130101;
G06T 7/0006 20130101; B66F 9/063 20130101; B65G 1/1375 20130101;
B65G 57/22 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65G 1/137 20060101
B65G001/137; B65G 57/22 20060101 B65G057/22; G05D 1/02 20060101
G05D001/02; B66F 9/06 20060101 B66F009/06; G06T 7/00 20060101
G06T007/00; G05B 13/02 20060101 G05B013/02 |
Claims
1. A stack assist system comprising: a stacking surface configured
to receive a plurality of packages thereon; a graphical display
configured to display a visual representation of an optimized stack
of packages to be stacked onto the stacking surface; wherein the
stack assist system is configured to receive package data related
to packages within a warehouse, and wherein the package data
includes one or more of package location, package destination,
package size, package weight, and package dimensions; and wherein
the stack assist system is configured to determine an optimized
stack of packages to be stacked onto the stacking surface based on
the package data.
2. The stack assist system of claim 1 further comprising a support
member positioned adjacent to the stacking surface, wherein the
graphical display is connected to the support member.
3. The stack assist system of claim 1, wherein the stacking surface
comprises a pallet.
4. The stack assist system of claim 1 further comprising a camera
positioned on the support member, wherein the camera is configured
to capture image data of the stacking surface and provide feedback
to the stack assist system of the stacked packages.
5. The stack assist system of claim 1 further comprising a package
position indicator, wherein the package position indicator is
configured to project a visual indication of location to place a
package on the stacking surface.
6. The stack assist system of claim 5, wherein the package position
indicator comprises a laser.
7. The stack assist system of claim 1, wherein the optimized stack
of packages is configured to consider and optimize one or more of:
the footprint of the stack; weight distribution within the stack;
stability of the stack; order of packages to be stacked or
unstacked; open air and density of packages within the stack; total
height of the stack; and grouping of like or related packages.
8. The stack assist system of claim 7, wherein optimization of the
optimized stack is adjustable by a user to increase or decrease the
weight of a considered parameter in determining the optimized
stack.
9. The stack assist system of claim 1, wherein the system is
configured to connect to, integrate with, or receive input data
from a warehouse management system.
10. A stack assist system comprising: a mobile unit; a stacking
surface located on the mobile unit, the stacking surface configured
to receive a plurality of packages thereon; a graphical display
configured to display a visual representation of an optimized stack
of packages to be stacked onto the stacking surface; wherein the
stack assist system is configured to receive package data related
to packages within a warehouse, and wherein the package data
includes one or more of package location, package destination,
package size, package weight, and package dimensions; and wherein
the stack assist system is configured to determine an optimized
stack of packages to be stacked onto the stacking surface based on
the package data.
11. The stack assist system of claim 10, wherein the mobile unit
comprises a walkie-rider vehicle to be steered by a user.
12. The stack assist system of claim 10, wherein the mobile unit
comprises an AGV vehicle configured to move without direction from
a user.
13. The stack assist system of claim 12, wherein the AGV is
automated to travel in a path through a warehouse to retrieve
packages to be placed onto the stacking surface.
14. The stack assist system of claim 12, wherein the stack assist
system is configured to determine a path of travel through a
warehouse to retrieve packages in an order to create an optimized
stack.
15. The stack assist system of claim 10 further comprising a
support member positioned adjacent to the stacking surface, wherein
the graphical display is connected to the support member.
16. The stack assist system of claim 10 further comprising a camera
positioned on the support member, wherein the camera is configured
to capture image data of the stacking surface and provide feedback
to the stack assist system of the stacked packages.
17. The stack assist system of claim 10 further comprising a
package position indicator, wherein the package position indicator
is configured to project a visual indication of location to place a
package on the stacking surface.
18. The stack assist system of claim 17, wherein the package
position indicator comprises a laser.
19. The stack assist system of claim 10, wherein the optimized
stack of packages is configured to consider and optimize one or
more of: the footprint of the stack; weight distribution within the
stack; stability of the stack; order of packages to be stacked or
unstacked; open air and density of packages within the stack; total
height of the stack; and grouping of like or related packages.
20. The stack assist system of claim 10, wherein the system is
configured to connect to, integrate with, or receive input data
from a warehouse management system.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 62/985,480 filed on Mar. 5, 2020 and entitled STACK
ASSIST SYSTEM, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a method and system for
determining an arrangement of items on a pallet and providing user
instructions to implement the arrangement.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Order picking, the process of loading product orders onto
shipping pallets, within a warehouse is a time consuming and costly
process. Research shows that in a conventional warehouse an average
of 50 to 60 percent of all employer costs are attributed to order
picking. For this reason, warehouses often attempt to optimize the
order picking process.
[0004] One optimization solution is known as slotting, where
fast-moving order pickers are positioned in the front and
slow-moving order pickers. Another solution is to optimize the
routes that the order pickers must travel in the warehouse. Experts
have developed various algorithms to calculate the shortest route
covering all pick locations on a pick list or create multiple
location where the same product is located.
[0005] In addition, many warehouses save time by combining several
orders into one pick route (batch-pick), for example by pick to 2
roll cages or pallets for different customers. Modern technology
also lends a helping hand. Voice picking ensures that order pickers
can have their hands free which makes multi-tasking possible. As
they are verbally confirming the pick assignment they can pick the
product and place it on the roll cage or pallet.
[0006] However, even with these developments, there are still many
deficiencies in the order picking process, specifically related to
creating consistency in order picking. One area of inconsistency is
between order pickers themselves. Specifically, order pickers may
work at varying rates due to their differences, such as different
walking paces, different knowledge of the warehouse and product
locations, different special awareness, and general differences in
experience. All of these differences may lead to inconsistency in
productivity between order pickers.
[0007] In addition, differences in the spatial awareness and
experience of order pickers can lead to the construction of
unstable product stacks, such as shown in FIG. 1. Order pickers are
charged with arranging a list of products on a pallet to be
shipped. However, unstable stacks that have unwanted gaps or
products that extend outside of the pallet footprint can lead to
various issues in the order picking process. For example, unstable
stacks may topple or partially topple causing delays due to
restacking. Additionally, unstable stacks may be unable to hold all
of the necessary products which may lead to further restacking and
delays.
[0008] Accordingly, an improved method and device for order picking
and stacking is needed.
SUMMARY
[0009] A stack assist system is generally presented. The stack
assist system may comprise a stacking surface, such as a pallet,
configured to receive a plurality of packages thereon. The stack
assist system may further include a graphical display configured to
display a visual representation of an optimized stack of packages
stacked onto the stacking surface. The system may be configured to
receive package data related to packages within a warehouse. The
package data may include one or more of package location, package
destination, package size, package weight, and package dimensions.
The stack assist system may determine the optimized stack based on
the package data received.
[0010] In an embodiment, the optimized stack may include a support
member positioned adjacent to the stacking surface. The support
member may hold various components including the graphical display.
The support member may further support a camera configured to
capture image data of the stacking surface. The stack assist system
may further include package position indicator, such as a laser,
configured to project a visual indication of location to place a
package on the stacking surface.
[0011] In an embodiment, the stack assist system may generate an
optimized stack based on one or more parameters including, but not
limited to: the footprint of the stack; weight distribution within
the stack; stability of the stack; order of packages to be stacked
or unstacked; open air and density of packages within the stack;
total height of the stack; and grouping of like or related
packages. The parameters considered in generating the optimized
stack may be weighted and the weighting of the parameters may be
user adjusted to modify the optimization of the stack. The stack
assist system may further be connected to or integrated with a
warehouse management system to receive package data from the
warehouse management system.
[0012] In an embodiment, the stack assist system may include a
mobile unit. The mobile unit may support the stacking surface and
may be configured to travel through a warehouse to retrieve
packages. The mobile unit may be a user guided unit or may be an
automated vehicle, such as an AGV. The stack assist system may
determine an optimal route for the mobile unit to travel through a
warehouse to obtain all packages to be placed on an given optimized
stack.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The operation of the invention may be better understood by
reference to the detailed description taken in connection with the
following illustrations, wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates an un-optimized pallet stack;
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a hardware for a stack assist system;
[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates an optimized pallet stack;
[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates a laser projection onto an optimized
pallet stack;
[0018] FIG. 5a illustrates a perspective view of an optimized
pallet stack on a graphic display;
[0019] FIG. 5b illustrates a top view of an optimized pallet stack
on a graphic display;
[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates a walkie rider having a stack assist
system connected thereto;
[0021] FIG. 7 illustrates an AGV having a stack assist system;
[0022] FIG. 8 illustrates a two-pallet stack assist system;
[0023] FIG. 9 illustrates smart glasses related to the stack assist
system; and
[0024] FIG. 10 illustrates a wrist-worn smart device in
communication with the stack assist system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood
that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and
functional changes may be made without departing from the
respective scope of the invention. Moreover, features of the
various embodiments may be combined or altered without departing
from the scope of the invention. As such, the following description
is presented by way of illustration only and should not limit in
any way the various alternatives and modifications that may be made
to the illustrated embodiments and still be within the spirit and
scope of the invention.
[0026] A stack assist system 10 is generally presented, as
illustrated in FIG. 1 and further depicted in the Figures. The
stack assist system may be configured to provide assistance and
instructions for manually and optimally stacking products or
packages on a pallet 12 or other stacking base. The stack assist
system 10 may be implemented within a warehouse or similar facility
having products that stored at known locations within the warehouse
and to be delivered to a known destination.
[0027] The stack assist system 10 may include and/or be configured
to integrate and/or communicate with a warehouse management system
("WMS"). The WMS may comprise a software and/or hardware designed
to support and optimize warehouse functionality and management. The
WMS may generally monitor and store information related to the
products and inventory within the warehouse. For example, the WMS
may receive and store statistical information about products or
packages stored in the warehouse. The stored statistical
information may include the size dimensions (including the height,
width, and length of each product package), and the weight of each
product, the location of each product within the warehouse,
identification information (such as barcode, product number, or
other identification information), shipping and destination
information, material contents of the product packaging, storage
restrictions (such as weight, temperature, and time restrictions,
and the like), and other related statistical information about the
products stored within the warehouse.
[0028] The stack assist system 10 may communicate with the WMS and
utilize information within the WMS as inputs to determine an
optimized stacking pattern for stacking products or packages on a
pallet. The pallet may be intended to be placed on a shipping
vehicle, such as a truck or the like, and to be sent to one or more
locations to drop off the products and/or packages contained on the
pallet.
[0029] While the stack assist system 10 may communicate with and
utilize the WMS as an input and to receive input information into
the system 10, it will be appreciated that the system 10 may
further access and connect to other databases to access statistical
or location information of products within the warehouse, shipping
locations, or other information related to products within the
warehouse.
[0030] The stack assist system 10 may be specifically configured to
determine an optimized pallet stack 20, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
The optimized pallet stack 20 may comprise products from within the
warehouse that are stacked on a pallet 12 or base layer. The stack
assist system 10 may use all available inputs, including inputs
from the WMS, to determine the optimized pallet stack 20. In an
embodiment, the stack assist system 10 may utilize at least the
size and weight dimensions of the product packaging for products
within the warehouse to determine the optimized pallet stack
20.
[0031] The stack assist system 10 may seek to meet one or more
objectives when determining the optimized pallet stack 20. These
objectives may include: utilizing the entire space within the
footprint of the pallet 12; reducing overflow or any product or
package that extends beyond the footprint of the pallet 12;
optimizing weight considerations to prevent crushing any packages
by positioning heavier packages below lighter packages; increasing
stability to prevent tipping by managing the arrangement of
weights, order of stacking, filling of spaces, and geometry within
the optimized pallet stack 20; increasing the height of the
optimized pallet stack 20 increasing stability; considering family
groupings within the optimized pallet stack 20 to keep products
that are intended for the same destination or products that may be
positioned near one another at an end user's location near to each
other on the pallet stack 20; reducing pallet stacking time by
ordering the packages on the stack 20 in a sequence that allows for
an optimized trip through the warehouse.
[0032] In an embodiment, the stack assist system 10 may receive an
input from a user to increase the weight given to one or more of
the above objections when creating the optimized pallet stack. For
example, a user may select that the optimized pallet stack
emphasize reduction in pallet stacking time. The stack assist
system 10 may then determine an optimized pallet stack 20 that
places a greater emphasis on pallet stacking time while reducing
emphasis on other optimization objectives.
[0033] The stack assist system 10 may include a hardware to assist
in helping a user implement and create the optimized pallet stack
20. An embodiment of the hardware is illustrated in FIG. 2. The
hardware may be configured to be positioned adjacent to a pallet 12
that will support the optimized pallet stack 20. The hardware may
provide step by step instructions and feedback to the user, as
described below.
[0034] The stack assist system 10 hardware may include a support
beam 22. The support beam 22 may extend both vertically adjacent to
the pallet 12 and horizontally above the pallet 12. The support
beam 22 may house various components of stack assist system 10 as
illustrated in the FIGS. and described below. The support beam 22
may further house power and communication connections for each of
the components.
[0035] The stack assist system 10 may include a graphical display
24. The display 24 may comprise a display screen or touch screen.
The display 24 may provide a graphical representation of the
optimized pallet stack 20. The graphical representation may be
provided in varying views, such as a perspective view 32 shown in
FIG. 5a or a top view 34 shown in FIG. 5b. The display 24 may
provide instructions to the user of where the next package to be
placed on the stack 20 should be positioned. For example, the
display 24 may show a graphical representation of the current stack
and may further display a highlighted or differently colored
package at the location where a new package should be placed to
provide stacking and placement instructions to a user. The display
24 may additionally be used to communicate other information to
users, such as locations of the next item to be stacked or other
stacking related information.
[0036] The stack assist system 10 may include a laser 26. The laser
26 may be positioned above the optimized pallet stack 20, such as
attached to the horizontal portion of the support beam 22. The
laser 26 may be configured to provide placement guidance to a user
for placing a package on the stack. As shown in FIG. 4, the laser
26 may project an outline of the perimeter for where the next box
or package should be placed. The projected perimeter gives guidance
to an order picker to provide them with the precise location of the
next package.
[0037] The stack assist system may further include a camera 28. The
camera may be positioned above the optimized pallet stack 20, such
as attached to the horizontal portion of the support beam. In an
embodiment, the camera 28 may be positioned at an angle with
respect to the pallet stack 20 to capture more than one dimension
of the stack 20. The camera 28 may capture visual data of the
pallet stack 20 to verify the dimensions and placement of packages
on the stack by comparing the geometry of the optimized pallet
stack 20 with the anticipated geometry. The verification may be
used to both verify that the correct package was placed on the
pallet stack 20 and to verify correct placement and positioning of
the package on the pallet stack 20.
[0038] The camera 28 may store images of the products placed on the
optimized pallet stack 20. The images may be used for tracking
purposes, such as confirming that a package was placed on a stack
and verifying order accuracy.
[0039] The stack assist system 10 may be configured to be placed on
a mobile unit to allow for transportation around a warehouse. For
example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the stack assist system 10 may
be placed on our mounted to a walkie rider 40. The walkie rider 40
may include forks configured to hold the pallet 12. The components
of the stack assist system 10 may be mounted or positioned adjacent
to the pallet 12 to allow the user to view the stacking
instructions while stacking the pallet 12. The walkie rider 40 may
be driven to storage locations around the warehouse to retrieve
each package to be placed on the optimized pallet stack 20.
[0040] In an embodiment, stack assist system 10 may generate an
order path for the user/operator of the walkie rider 40. The order
path may be computed by the stack assist system 10 software, based
on information related to the location of each package within the
warehouse, such as from information within the WMS, as well as the
packages to be included on the optimized pallet stack 20 and the
order sequence of the packages to be stacked onto the pallet 12.
The order path may be configured to reduce the order picking time
by minimizing the total travel within the warehouse to retrieve the
entire pallet stack 20.
[0041] The stack assist system 10 on the walkie rider 40 may
receive an order path from the software, such as through a wireless
communication or through other communication means. The stack
assist system 10 may then communicate the order path to the user,
such as by providing order path instructions on the display 24.
[0042] In an embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 8, the walkie rider 40
may be configured to support two or more pallets 12. The stack
assist system 10 may determine and provide optimized pallet stacks
20 for each pallet 12. The stack assist system 10 may then
determine an order path for picking orders for all pallets 12 on
the walkie rider 40.
[0043] In an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the stack assist
system 10 may be mounted to an automated guided vehicle ("AGV") 42.
The AGV 42 may be configured to run on a track or guided pat within
the warehouse. The AGV 42 may receive an order path from the stack
assist system 10 and may navigate to the instructed location within
a warehouse. Order pickers may be stationed at various locations
within the warehouse and assigned to given areas or zones. An order
picker may approach an AGV 42 that is stopped within their assigned
zone and review the stacking instructions provided on the display
24. Once the instructed package is loaded onto the pallet stack 20,
the AGV 42 may navigate to is next location.
[0044] In an embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 9, the stack assist
system 10 may include smart glasses 50 to assist a user in stacking
the optimized pallet stack 20. The smart glasses 50 may include a
projector 52 on at least one lens to project images and information
for the user to see. The information may include stacking
information, such as illustrating the location of a package to be
placed onto the stack 20, or other information for creating the
pallet stack 20, such as location information. The smart glasses 50
may integrate with and receive information from the stack assist
system 10 software. It will be appreciated that the stack assist
system 10 may further integrate with or connect to other peripheral
or smart components, such as smart watches, mobile devices, and the
like. The system 10 may be configured to send instructional output
to the devices and receive user input from the devices.
[0045] In an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the stack
assist system 10 may be configured to communicate with a wrist-worn
smart device 54. The wrist-worn device 54 may incorporate or
include a tablet or smartphone or other smart devices that may
connect to the stack assist system 10 via a wireless network, such
as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth or the like. The wrist-worn smart device 54
may include a display to provide the user with instructions on
locations for package stacking and may receive inputs from the user
to the system 10. The wrist-worn smart device 54 may further
optionally include a scanner to scan barcodes and the like for
verification purposes and to input the scanned information into the
system 10.
[0046] It will be appreciated that the stack assist system 10 may
integrate with cloud based software to allow users to access
information remotely without the need to run all software related
to the stack assist system 10 on site. The cloud based software may
receive input information from the warehouse WMS. The software may
perform processing tasks within the cloud, such as generating an
optimized pallet stack 20 and creating an order picking path. The
software may then download the information to a stack assist system
10 within the warehouse.
[0047] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been
illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the
foregoing detailed description, it is to be understood that the
present invention is not to be limited to just the embodiments
disclosed, but that the invention described herein is capable of
numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without
departing from the scope of the claims hereafter. The claims as
follows are intended to include all modifications and alterations
insofar as they come within the scope of the claims or the
equivalent thereof
* * * * *